Systems and methods of generating augmented reality (AR) objects

ABSTRACT

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for generating an Augmented Reality (AR) object are presented. The method may include capturing an image of one or more target objects, wherein the one or more target objects are positioned on a pre-defined background. The method may also include segmenting the image into one or more areas corresponding to the one or more target objects and one or more areas corresponding to the pre-defined background. The method may additionally include converting the one or more areas corresponding to the one or more target objects to a digital image. The method may further include generating one or more AR objects corresponding to the one or more target objects, based at least in part on the digital image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Provisional U.S. Application Ser.No. 61/823,295, entitled “AR SKETCH & PLAY: COMBINING PAPER-BASEDSKETCHING AND MULTI-TOUCH INTERACTION FOR AR APPLICATIONS,” filed May14, 2013, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Aspects of the disclosure relate to augmented reality (AR) objects,specifically creating AR objects from physical sketches or physicalobjects, for use in AR interactions.

The current generation of mobile AR applications can be limited when itcomes to interaction with a user. For example, many applications onlyallow end-users to manipulate (e.g., select, move, game actions) ornavigate (e.g., turn around, come closer) predefined 3-D contentoverlaid on a printed target. The predefined content may betraditionally authored offline by artists, designers or developers andintegrated as part of the application and cannot be modified inreal-time. These approaches limit the flexibility and creative potentialof AR experiences.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses forgenerating and capturing an Augmented Reality (AR) object in real-timeare presented. Additionally, the AR object can be modified in real-timeusing multi-touch interactions by a user.

Certain embodiments are described that allow a user to combine physicalsketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile AR applications. Insome embodiments the physical sketching for generating AR object inreal-time can be paper-based.

In some embodiments, a method for generating one or more augmentedreality (AR) objects by a mobile device includes capturing an image ofone or more target objects, wherein the one or more target objects arepositioned on a pre-defined background. The method also includessegmenting the image into one or more areas corresponding to the one ormore target objects and one or more areas corresponding to thepre-defined background. The method additionally includes converting theone or more areas corresponding to the one or more target objects to adigital image. The method further includes generating one or more ARobjects corresponding to the one or more target objects, based at leastin part on the digital image.

In some embodiments, segmenting the image further comprises subtractingthe pre-defined background from the image.

In some embodiments, editing the one or more AR objects in response to auser input.

In some embodiments, the editing also includes dividing at least one ofthe one or more AR objects into a plurality of AR parts, receiving userinput associated with a designated AR part from the plurality of ARparts, and manipulating the designated AR part based on the receiveduser input.

In some embodiments, manipulating the designated AR part based on thereceived user input includes at least one of: adding depth to thedesignated AR part based on a determined finger pressure on a display ofthe mobile device, rotating the designated AR part based on a usergesture performed on the display of the mobile device, assembling thedesignated AR part into one or more layers, moving the designated ARpart into one or more locations displayable on the display of the mobiledevice, or extruding the designated AR part.

In some embodiments, one of the one or more target objects comprises atwo-dimensional (2-D) sketch.

In some embodiments, one of the one or more target objects comprises athree-dimensional (3-D) object.

In some embodiments, one of the one or more target objects is coplanarwith the pre-defined background.

In some embodiments, the pre-defined background is a feature trackingtarget.

In some embodiments, the method also includes refining one of the one ormore areas corresponding to the one or more target objects.

In some embodiments, the one or more AR objects are generated based ondetection of a two-dimensional (2-D) blob within the captured image, thedetection of the 2-D blob based on a surface reflectance associated withthe one or more target objects positioned on the pre-defined background.

In some embodiments, the pre-defined background includes a horizontaltracking area and a vertical tracking area.

In some embodiments, the method also includes displaying, on a displayof the mobile device, the one or more AR objects in real-time.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for generating one or more AR objectsincludes memory, an image capturing module configured to capture animage of one or more target objects, wherein the one or more targetobjects are positioned on a pre-defined background, an image processingmodule configured to segment the image into one or more areascorresponding to the one or more target objects and one or more areascorresponding to the pre-defined background, and a processor coupled tothe memory, image capturing module, and image processing module. Theprocessor may be configured to convert the one or more areascorresponding to the one or more target objects to a digital image andgenerate one or more AR objects corresponding to the one or more targetobjects, based at least in part on the digital image.

In some embodiments, one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediastoring computer-executable instructions for generating one or moreAugmented Reality (AR) objects that, when executed, cause one or morecomputing devices included in a mobile device to capture an image of oneor more target objects, wherein the one or more target objects arepositioned on a pre-defined background, segment the image into one ormore areas corresponding to the one or more target objects and one ormore areas corresponding to the pre-defined background, convert the oneor more areas corresponding to the one or more target objects to adigital image, and generate one or more AR objects corresponding to theone or more target objects, based at least in part on the digital image.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for generating one or more AugmentedReality (AR) objects includes means for capturing an image of one ormore target objects, wherein the one or more target objects arepositioned on a pre-defined background, means for segmenting the imageinto one or more areas corresponding to the one or more target objectsand one or more areas corresponding to the pre-defined background, meansfor converting the one or more areas corresponding to the one or moretarget objects to a digital image, and means for generating one or moreAR objects corresponding to the one or more target objects, based atleast in part on the digital image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the disclosure are illustrated by way of example. In theaccompanying figures, like reference numbers indicate similar elements,and:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary mobile deviceaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates embodiments of the present invention in comparison todifferent type of AR applications from a perspective of end-users versusdevelopers;

FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the present invention using a trackingarea;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for combining physicalsketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile AR applications,according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate examples of the method for combining physicalsketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile AR applications;

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate difference type of sketches that can be usedaccording to some embodiments;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method of placing and capturing thesketched object or physical object in the tracking area, according toone embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates an AR editing method using the mobile interface,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 13 illustrates an AR editing method using the mobile interface,according to another embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a table illustrating different editing modes, according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 15 illustrates using a 2.5-D stage to apply simplified physics in a2-D layer, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for capturing a targetAR object, according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a computing system in which one ormore embodiments may be implemented.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of an image processing module withdifferent software modules for executing the tasks associated withembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Several illustrative embodiments will now be described with respect tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. While particularembodiments, in which one or more aspects of the disclosure may beimplemented, are described below, other embodiments may be used andvarious modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthe disclosure or the spirit of the appended claims.

Augmented reality (AR) can be a live, direct or indirect, view of aphysical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented bycomputer-generated sensory input such as, but not limited to, sound,text, graphics, video, and location (e.g., Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS)) data.

By using AR technology such as object recognition, the information aboutthe surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and able tobe digitally manipulated. Artificial information about the user'senvironment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed towards an augmentedreality (AR) object, specifically combining physical sketching andmulti-touch interaction for mobile AR applications. Additionally, the ARobject can be modified in real-time using multi-touch interactions by auser.

Certain embodiments are described that allow a user to combine physicalsketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile AR applications. Insome embodiments the physical sketching for generating AR objects inreal-time can be paper-based.

According to some embodiments, a user may be able to interact with realcontent (e.g., paper-based) directly on a marker (e.g., target area). Insome instances, the AR object can be based on real content that iscreated online by the end-user. This may be in contrast to currentimplementations, where virtual content is created offline by developersvia a digital tool.

As a result, embodiments of the present invention allow for a moreintuitive way for users to create AR objects and content without theneed of a traditional digital tool. Additionally, using the concept ofpop-up books and collage artwork, the AR content creation can becomemore accessible to end-users. Furthermore, the embodiments of thepresent invention may offer new approaches for AR interaction, which caninclude capturing information from the real world in real-time.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary mobile device 100according to some embodiments. The mobile device 100 includes an imagecapture module 111 coupled to an image processing module 121. The imageprocessing module 121 can be one or more general-purpose processor(s).Additionally, the image processing module 121 may be connected to a bus101 by a bus interface 103, and the image capture module 111 may beconnected to the bus 101 by the bus interface 103, and memory 161connected to the bus 101 by the bus interface 103.

The image processing module 121 may also be coupled to a display module181 via the bus interface 103 and bus 101. Additionally, the imagecapture module 111 and the image processing module 121 can be connectedto a user input module 191 via the bus interface 103 and bus 101. Theimage processing module 121 may be configured to detect and capture animage of a target object from incoming image data or video data receivedfrom the image capture module 111. The image of the target object mayinclude an object positioned against a pre-defined background. The imageprocessing module 121 can compare the pre-defined background with theimage of the target object and determine a sketch based on thecomparison. Subsequently, the image processing module 121 can generatean AR object based on the sketch for display on the display module.

The bus interface 103 may be integrated with the image processing module121, image capture module 111, and memory 161 with which they areassociated. In various embodiments, functions may be stored as one ormore instructions or code in memory 161, such as on a computer-readablestorage medium, such as RAM, ROM, FLASH, or disc drive, and executed byimage processing module 121. Memory 161 may be a processor-readablememory and/or a computer-readable memory that stores software code(programming code, instructions, etc.) configured to cause the imageprocessing module 121 to perform the functions described. In otherembodiments, the functions described may be performed in hardware.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, the mobile device 100 may include aglobal navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 171 capable ofreceiving GNSS signals 174 via a GNSS antenna 172 coupled to the GNSSreceiver 171. The GNSS receiver 171 may also process, in whole or inpart, the GNSS radio signals 174 and use the GNSS signals 174 todetermine the location of the mobile device 100. The GNSS receiver 171can assist the mobile AR applications with location-based information.

Moreover, in some embodiments, the mobile device 100 may also include awireless transceiver 131 connected to the bus 101 by a bus interface103. The wireless transceiver 131 may be operable to receive a wirelesssignal 154 via antenna 152. The wireless signal 154 may be transmittedvia a wireless network. In some embodiments, the wireless network may beany wireless network such as, but not limited to, the Internet, aPersonal Access Network (PAN), or a cellular network (e.g. a GSM, WCDMA,LTE, CDMA2000 network). In some embodiments, antennas 152 and 172 may bethe same antenna. It can be appreciated that while two antennas aredepicted in FIG. 1, in other embodiments, any number of antennas may bepresent on the mobile device 100 and the wireless transceiver 131 andGNSS receiver 171 may share one or more these antennas for purposes ofcommunication. The wireless transceiver 131 can assist the mobile ARapplication with communication with the network (e.g., internet).

The mobile device 100 may be a cellphone, smartphone, PDA, tablet,laptop, tracking device or some other wireless supportable and moveabledevice and may be referred to as a mobile terminal, mobile station (MS),terminal, device, wireless device, user equipment (UE), SUPL EnabledTerminal (SET), target device, target or by some other name.

According to some embodiments, the image capture module 111 can includea lens and an image sensor that can be configured to capture an image ofone or more target objects and a pre-defined background, where the oneor more target objects are positioned on the pre-defined background. Insome instances, the captured images may be videos, and the videos may becaptured in real-time. Accordingly, the term image as described hereincan include video and audio data. The image capture module 111 mayinclude one or more digital still cameras, one or more video cameras,one or more microphones, or any combination thereof. Examples of theimage capture module 111 may include, but is not limited to, a RGBcamera, a depth camera, a stereo camera, etc. The term “camera” may alsorefer to multiple cameras that may be of different types (e.g., an RGBcamera and a depth camera).

According to some embodiments, the image processing module 121 can beconfigured to detect the one or more target objects from the image datareceived by the image capture module 111 and generate augmented imagedata for display on the display module 181, as described with respect tomethod 1600 in FIG. 16. In order to generate the augmented image data,the image capture module 111 may segment the captured image into one ormore areas corresponding to the one or more target objects and one ormore areas corresponding to the pre-defined background. The imagecapture module 111 may then convert the one or more areas correspondingto the one or more target objects to a digital image. The image capturemodule 111 may continue to generate one or more AR objects correspondingto the one or more target objects. In some embodiments, the one or moretarget objects can include a hand-drawn sketch by a user.

In some instances, the display module 181 is configured to display thegenerated AR objects. For example, the display module 181 may include adisplay screen on the mobile device or other visual display device(e.g., projector, head-mounted display, vehicle display, smart watch,camera display, etc.). In some embodiments, the generated AR objects canbe displayed as an embedded AR object within an augmented image, asillustrated in FIG. 7.

In some embodiments, the user input module 191 enables a user to control(e.g., animate) the three-dimensional AR object displayed via thedisplay module 181. For example, the user input module 191 may includeone or more physical controls, such as one or more switches, buttons,joysticks, or keys. As other examples, the user input module 191 caninclude a touchscreen of the display module 181, a speech interface, agesture recognizer, another user input mechanism, or any combinationthereof. In some embodiments, the user input module 191 may be within adifferent device, separate from the mobile device 100.

In some instances, at least a portion of the image processing module 121may be implemented via dedicated circuitry. In other embodiments, atleast a portion of the image processing module 121 may be implemented byexecution of computer executable code that is executed by the imageprocessing module 121. To illustrate, the memory 161 may include anon-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programinstructions that are executable by the image processing module 121. Theprogram instructions may include code for detecting one or more targetobjects within image data received from an image capture module 111, andcode for generating one or more AR objects corresponding to the one ormore target objects.

FIG. 2 compares different types of AR applications as seen from anend-user or developer perspective. FIG. 2 further illustratesembodiments of the present invention that represent a class of ARapplications for real-time AR authoring and/or real-time AR sketching.

According to some embodiments, methods are disclosed for allowingend-users to use AR applications in order to create content inreal-time. As illustrated in the real-time AR sketching application 215,end-users can create and use virtual AR content.

In contrast, in a traditional mobile AR application 205, artists anddevelopers create the virtual AR content offline, which may beintegrated into the mobile AR application 205. End-users may thenmanipulate or navigate this pre-defined virtual AR content online, butthey are not able to modify or edit the content during real time.

Alternatively, in a traditional AR browser's mobile application 210,end-users can create virtual and real content, but the content is stillgenerated offline, on a separate platform, using traditional digitalauthoring tools. It can be appreciated that the term “offline” as usedherein can refer to creating content on a platform other than the onethe end-user may ultimately use to interact with the AR content. Forexample, in the traditional AR browser's mobile application 210, whichmay be only tailored for desktop platforms, end-users can createpictures, place marks and 3-D models on their desktop, add them on aserver using a web authoring tool, and then experience the content at alater time using a mobile device or other device other than the desktop.As illustrated in this example, even though current implementation mayallow end-users to create virtual and real content, the creation isstill limited to just the offline creation with professional digitaltools.

Embodiments of the present invention describe AR tools and mobile ARuser interfaces that enable a user to create content that is both onlineand user-generated, as illustrated in the real-time AR sketchingapplication 215. It can be appreciated that the term “online” as usedherein can refer to creating content in real-time, on the same platformthat the end-user may ultimately use to interact with the AR content. Insome instances, the real-time AR sketching application 215 can allow auser to create real-time virtual content using a mobile AR userinterface. For example, the mobile AR user interface can receive aninput (e.g., user drawing on the tablet, photo editing, 3-D modeling),and based on the input, update the virtual content in real-time.

Additionally, embodiments of the present invention can combine physicalsketching with virtual content in AR. In some instances, the combiningcan be as a result of unifying traditional sketching with multi-touchinteractions on a mobile AR interface, as illustrated in a more detaileddescription of the real-time AR sketching application 215 at the bottomof FIG. 2.

The real-time AR sketching application 215 can include a virtual ARsketching 220 mode, a paper AR sketching 225 mode and an AR sketch andplay 230 mode. Using these modes, the real-time AR sketching application215 enables physical sketching (e.g., real world) and touch interactionfor enabling an end-user to create and use both virtual and realcontent.

According to some embodiments, the method used by the real-time ARsketching application 215 can be based on the concept of using adedicated space (e.g., tracking area) to capture real-world content. Forexample, a tracking area (e.g., Qualcomm Natural Feature Tracking (NFT)Marker) can be used as a dedicated space to capture the real-worldcontent. Additionally, the tracking area can be used to edit the content(e.g., capture-and-play space). In some instances, the real-time ARsketching application 215 can capture a real object and create a digitalcounterpart (e.g., virtual) that can be manipulated on the trackingarea. The tracking area (e.g., tracking area 305) is further discussedin FIG. 3.

In the traditional virtual AR sketching 220 mode, a user can sketch onthe digital device to create an AR object. Additionally, the user cantrack the created AR object on the marker (e.g., an object with knowngeometry, tracking area) in order to create the virtual content.According to some embodiments, one or more of the following modules inthe mobile device 100 can be used for tracking: image capture module 111(e.g., digital cameras and/or other optical sensors), image processingmodule 121, accelerometers, GNSS receiver 171, gyroscopes, solid statecompasses, and wireless transceiver 131.

In the traditional paper AR sketching 225 mode, a user can both sketchand track the AR object on the marker (e.g., tracking area) to createthe virtual content. Additionally, the user can play with the AR objectby manipulating the sketch on the marker, while the sketch is beingtracked.

Current implementations may focus solely on a full 3-D reconstruction.In contrast, embodiments of the present invention can use techniquesthat enable two-dimensional (2-D) to two-and-a-half-dimensional (2.5-D)reconstructions. For example, 2-D to 2.5-D objects such as pop-up booksand collage artwork can be didactic elements in teaching creative work.Accordingly, by having fewer dimensions, the application can be easierto use by users (e.g., children) and can be more imaginative for theuser. Additionally, 2-D to 2.5-D objects can have better functionalitywhen used for gaming, education, entertainment, animation/puppetry,artistic work, etc.

In the AR sketch and play 230 mode, which embodies the implementationsdescribed herein, a user can sketch on media using 2-D to 2.5-D objects.Additionally, the user can capture and edit on the marker (e.g.,tracking area) to create the virtual content. Furthermore, the user canplay (e.g., manipulate) and the generated one or more AR objects.

FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the present invention in a spatialenvironment. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the real-time ARsketching application 215 can use a marker (e.g., tracking area 305,physical sketch and play area of FIG. 3) to extract, capture and play atthe same time. Additionally, the marker (e.g., tracking area 305) can beused to generate real-time content in three-dimensions (3-D).

In some instances, a user can add physical content 310 (e.g., sketch,drawing, 3-D physical object) on the tracking area 305, and the imagecapture module 111 and image processing module 121 can generate one ormore AR objects 315 based on the physical content 310 positioned (e.g.,placed) on the tracking area 305. For example, FIG. 16 describes anexemplary method for generating the one or more AR objects based on thephysical content placed on the tracking area 305. Subsequently, the usercan edit and play with the generated AR object(s).

For example, in some embodiments, the real-time AR sketching application215 can be implemented using a capture or edit mechanism, which mayinclude editing techniques for the marker-based environment. In someembodiments, the capture or edit mechanism may interact with the imageprocessing module 121 to allow for editing of the marker-basedenvironment. As a result, complex computer vision (CV) 3-D modeling andacquisition may not be required to edit the AR environment.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method 400 forcombining physical sketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile ARapplications, according to one embodiment.

At block 405, a user can sketch and cut an object using real paper.Alternatively, the user can draw or glue the object. FIG. 5 illustratesan example of a user sketching an object (e.g., human FIG. 505) usingreal paper.

At 410, the user can place the object in the tracking area 305 (e.g.,capture-and-play space). FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a user placingthe object (e.g., human FIG. 505) in the tracking area 305. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, the tracking area 305 can be a predefinedbackground. Some examples of the tracking are 305 include, but is notlimited to, AR tracking targets, the Qualcomm NFT marker, etc.

At 415, the real-time AR sketching application 215 can capture thecontent. The flow diagram in FIG. 16 further describes a method ofcapturing the content. Additionally, as previously mentioned, the imagecapture module 111 can be configured to detect the one or more targetobjects positioned (e.g., placed) on the tracking area 305.

At 420, the real-time AR sketching application 215 can grab and digitizethe captured object. In some instances, the real-time AR sketchingapplication 215 can digitize the sketch from block 405 and block 410 andconvert it to a digital image. The image processing module 121 can beconfigured to detect the one or more target objects in the incomingvideo/image data received from the image capture module 111 and generateone or more AR objects corresponding to the one or more target objectsfor display on the display module 181.

It can be appreciated that these steps may be performed in real-time bythe mobile device 100.

In other instances, the image processing module 121 may be configured todetect a target image within the video/image data received from theimage capture module 111. The image processing module 121 may beconfigured to generate a sketch and augmented reality (AR) data based onthe detected target image.

At 425, the user can edit the captured content using the real-time ARsketching application 215. The user interface can be a multi-touchinterface. FIGS. 12-13 illustrate different editing methods using thereal-time AR sketching application 215. Methods of editing the capturedcontent can include, but are not limited, to: modifying the geometry ofthe captured content; modifying the initial placement of the capturedcontent on the marker (tracking area 305); creating animation with theobject; and adding extra properties (e.g., sounds, physical behavior) tothe object. These editing methods are further described in the tableillustrated in FIG. 14.

At 430, the user can play with the edited content or captured content.FIG. 7 illustrates an example of editing and/or playing with thecaptured content. Playing with the content can include, but is notlimited, to; animation; manipulation; and video game interactions withthe content.

FIGS. 5-7 illustrate examples of the method 400 for combining physicalsketching and multi-touch interaction for mobile AR applications. Asillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, a user can sketch an object (e.g., humanFIG. 505), as previously described in block 405. Additionally, FIG. 6illustrates an example of placing the object (e.g., human FIG. 505) onthe tracking area 305, as previously described in block 410.Furthermore, FIG. 7 illustrates an example of editing or playing withthe captured content on the tracking area 305, as previously describedin block 425 and block 430.

The sketch object, as used in block 405, can include a range ofdifferent media items, including, but not limited to, a drawing, asketch, and a 3-D physical object placed on the tracking area 305. Insome instances, the 3-D physical object can only be captured in 2-D. Thesketch object 405 may need to be clearly distinguishable and co-planarto the tracking area 305. Additionally, the sketched object may beplaced in a way that covers only a part of the tracking area 305 inorder to ensure stable tracking. It can be appreciated that the sketchedobject is an example of the one or more target objects.

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate various examples of sketched objects that can beused according to some embodiments. For example, a user can sketch astick FIG. 805 and place the object on the tracking area 305, asillustrated in FIG. 8. Alternatively, a user can sketch a vehicle 905and place the sketch on the tracking area, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Inanother embodiment, the user can place a 3-D object, such as toy car1005 on the tracking area as illustrated in FIG. 10.

As further described in the flowchart of FIG. 16, the real-time ARsketching application 215 can capture an object (e.g., stick FIG. 805,vehicle 905, 3-D toy car 1005) placed on the tracking area 305 andgenerate an AR object based on the captured object. As illustrated, thesketch object can include a range of different media items, including,but not limited to, a drawing, a sketch, and a 3-D physical object.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method of placing and capturingmultiple objects in the tracking area 305, as previously described inblock 410 and block 415. For example, the real-time AR sketchingapplication 215 can capture multiple objects, when a first object 1105and a second object 1110 are positioned (e.g., placed) on the trackingarea 305. Methods similar to the method described in FIG. 16 can be usedto capture multiple objects. In some instances, a user may place the oneor more sketched objects in a way that covers only a part of thetracking area 305 in order to ensure stable tracking. Additionally, thesketched object or physical object should preferably be placed in thecenter. In another embodiment, the real-time AR sketching application215 may only capture the largest item in the image.

After one or more objects are placed on the tracking area 305, asillustrated in image 1115 captured by the image capture module 111, thereal-time AR sketching application 215 can use a background subtractiontechnique to determine the target object(s) positioned on thepre-defined background, as illustrated in background subtraction image1120. In some instances, the real-time AR sketching application 215 canuse a high octave in scale space for an interactive performance, wherethe interactive performance is based on guidance from a user.Additionally, the background subtraction technique can be complementedwith a local light estimation to get a pure albedo of the object.

Furthermore, intrinsic image decomposition or a basic light estimationcan be applied to recover reflectance of the surface from the capturedobject(s). In some instances, non-reflective media can be preferred andeasier to capture. Once the one or more objects are captured, thereal-time AR sketching application 215 can generate one or more 2-Dblobs based on the captured reflectance of the surface from the capturedobject(s), as illustrated in captured objects image 1125.

Moreover, an image segmentation algorithm (e.g., GrabCut algorithm) canbe used to refine the contour or shape of the blob (e.g., contour of anobject, such as a sketched character). One or more AR objectscorresponding to the one or more target objects may then be generated.

FIGS. 12-13 illustrate different editing methods using the real-time ARsketching application 215, as previously described in block 425. FIG. 12illustrates the contour selection technique used for editing the one ormore AR objects. Alternatively, FIG. 13 illustrates the hotspotselection technique used for editing the one or more AR objects.Furthermore, the different editing modes can be controlled using thereal-time AR sketching application 215.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the different editing modes can include: ageometry mode 1410 (e.g., modifying the geometry of the objectcaptured); a location mode 1420 (e.g., modifying the initial placementof the object on the marker); animation mode 1430 (e.g., creatinganimation with the object); extra property mode 1440 (e.g., adding extraproperties to the object such as sound mode and physical behavior); anda play mode 1450 (local interaction, visualize or record). In someinstances, the selection of the different editing modes can be doneusing buttons, gestures and/or hotspots.

The geometry mode 1410 can further include: basic edits 1411; extrusionedits 1412; depth edits 1413; revolving edits 1414; multiple parts edits1415; skeletonization edits 1416; symbolic edits 1417; and semi 3-Dedits 1418. In some instances, the selection of the different edits inthe geometric mode can be operated using buttons, gestures and/orhotspots.

Basic edits 1411 include generating a 2-D planar polygonal model fromthe captured object (e.g., convex hull, polygonization).

Extrusion edits 1412 include allowing a user to extrude part of theobject based on diagonal motion inputs on the surface of the object.

Depth edits 1413 include adding some depth on parts of the capturedobject by a user touching the object. In some instances longer pressurecan result to higher depth. Additionally, a negative/positive button canswitch the mode.

Revolving edits 1414 can include a user drawing a revolving axis andperforming a swipe gesture to create the object.

Multiple parts edits 1415 can include assembling different drawings tospecified different layers of an object (e.g., apples on a tree) ordifferent face of an object (e.g., faces of a house).

Skeletonization edits 1416 can include using morphological methods onthe outer hull of the captured target (e.g., extracted blob).

Symbolic edits 1417 can include recognizing a symbol using a shapedescriptor. Additionally, the real-time AR sketching application 215 canconstrain the applied interactions to the resulting reconstruction.

Semi 3-D edits 1418 can include creating 3-D reconstruction from thestrokes found in the sketch.

In another mode, the location mode 1420 can include rotating edits 1421and moving edits 1422. For example, the rotating edits 1421 can includemethods of rotating the captured object from a specific axis centerusing swipe gestures in different directions. Additionally, a user mayclick on a default hotspot to change the center of rotation.

In the moving edits 1422 component of the location mode 1420, thecaptured object can be moved on the tracking area 305. In someinstances, a ray cast between a sketch (e.g., sketch 505) and a markercan define the location. Furthermore, the different guides used to movethe AR object can include: surface of the marker; along the tangent (orbi-tangent) of the X and Y orientation of the marker; perpendicularplane (i.e., Z-axis) on the marker; and front or back of the marker(e.g., border planes around the marker). As previously mentioned, theselection of the different edits in any of the modes can be operatedusing buttons, gestures and/or hotspots.

In another mode, the animation mode 1430 can include basic edits 1431,path edits 1432 and a stop motion edits 1433. The basic edits 1431 canpredefine animation behavior such as spinning, jumping, looping, etc.The path edits 1432 can allow a user to record a path for a digitizedsketch. The stop motion edits 1433 can allow a user to define ananimated sequence for a digitized sketch.

In another mode, the extra property mode 1440 can add extra propertiesto the object such as, but not limited to: sound edits 1441 and physicalbehavior edits 1442. Sound edits 1441 can add sound to the object byusing the recording button. In some instances the recording button canbe near the digitized sketch. Physical behavior edits 1442 can addphysical behavior to the digitized object, such as jumping, running,etc.

In yet another mode, the play mode 1450 can be based on a skeleton edits1451 and hand gesture edits 1452. The play mode 1450 can include theskeleton edits 1451 with strokes, where nodes are detected based on adistance transforms in the model and generate a simplified inversekinematics (IK) model. For example, IK model in 3-D animation canconnect game characters physically to the surrounding, such as feetlanding firmly on top of terrain.

In some embodiments, in the play mode 1450, a snapshot 1453 of ARcontent may be captured and/or recorded allowing for recording control.In other words, AR may be used to create a type of hybrid/real-virtualstop motion animation, hybrid Machinima, storytelling, etc. The capturedvideo sequence may be exported using a video sequence export 1454function.

Additionally, in the play mode 1450, an AR object (e.g., animatedfigure) can be modeled with a skeleton of rigid segments connected withjoints, called a kinematic chain. The kinematics equations of the figurecan define the relationship between the joint angles of the figure andits configuration. In some instances, it is easier to animate AR objectsby defining the spatial configuration of a figure by its moving parts,or arms and legs, rather than directly manipulate joint angles.Therefore, inverse kinematics can be used in the real-time AR sketchingapplication 215 to easily animate AR objects by an end-user.

For example, the skeleton edits 1451 can allows an end-user to move thehand of a 3-D human AR object to a desired position and orientation andhave an algorithm in the real-time AR sketching application toautomatically select the proper angles of the wrist, elbow, and shoulderjoints.

In the hand gesture edits 1452 of the play mode 1450, the nodes of theAR objects can be animated with hand gestures. For example, thereal-time AR sketching application 215 can map the fingertips of theuser to the outer node points in the skeleton of the AR object.Additionally, the hand gesture edits 1452 can be based on the semi-3-Dmode, where the real-time AR sketching application 215 can map handgestures to a semi-3-D reconstructed model.

Moreover, different default modes can be further added such as: animatecontent (e.g., popup, storytelling book); record (e.g., user can movearound the animation and record it, puppet mode); and game mode (e.g.,physics can be applied, object can be manipulated).

According to some embodiments, a user can edit AR object on a headmounted display (HMD) using human body gestures. For example, the handgesture edits 1452 can be implemented with an HMD. An HMD can includeone or more egocentric cameras mounted on the glass frame for the imagecapture module 111. An HMD can also include optical sensors,accelerometers, GNSS receiver 171, gyroscopes, solid state compasses,radio-frequency identification (RFID) and wireless transceiver 131. AnHMD can have a transparent display area within a user's field of view,as the display module 181, in which a user can view both physicalobjects and virtual objects. Using the built-in cameras as the userinput device, an HMD can capture hand gestures according to user's handgesture edits 1452.

In the HMD example, the HMD can provide AR functionality by overlayingphysical objects viewed by a user with digital content (e.g., text,pictures, video) associated with the physical objects, or associatedwith the user's location and/or context, for example.

Furthermore, although embodiments are described herein with respect to aHMD, those of skill in the art will appreciate that other forms ofhead-mounted displays may be utilized. For example, embodimentsdescribed herein may be implemented with respect to one or more contactlenses that a user may wear and/or may be implemented in another form ofdisplay through which a user may perceive a field of view.

Embodiments of the present invention can further extend the capture,edit and play methods described herein.

For example, the capture method can be extended to do non-target-basedcapture such as taking a picture of a magazine, or recording the face ofa person. In some instances, the captured image may need to bepost-processed to get a blob shape, and therefore it may less reliablethan a target-based capture. Additionally, in the target-based capturemethod, a blob shape can be captured with less processing and done inreal-time.

Additionally, the capture method can also acquire texture or colorinformation from the real world (e.g., placing an object on the markerand digitizing the color of the object). Furthermore, the capture stepcan also be extended to capture dynamic content (e.g., capturing facialexpression). In some instances, these extended capture methods may needpost-processing.

The edit method can be extended to also include a way to create skeletonon the digitized sketch. For example, a user can build an articulatedmodel which can later be animated.

The play method can be extended to include tracked content (e.g., hand,physical proxy object by the mean as Tangible User Interface). Forexample, a model of a car in the user's hand can be moved on the markerand the digitized content will be associated with it (i.e., when thehand moves, a digitized sketch of a vehicle will follow the motion ofthe hand).

FIG. 15 illustrates a 2.5-D stage for supporting and creatinginteractive puppet theater experiences and games, according to someembodiments. In some instances, by using an L-shaped marker arrangement1505 with one horizontal tracking area 1510 and one vertical trackingarea 1515. The L-shaped marker arrangement 1505 can assume a variety ofcamera positions from above at a skew angle, but also from the side, asa theater visitor would see a stage.

Additionally, the user can digitize various stage props (properties)such as trees, mountains, houses, furniture and so on. These digitalprops appear vertical on the stage. By using two tracking areas, theprops can be placed in any layer chosen from a fixed number (e.g., 5) oflayers of increasing depth (distance to the observer). The user canselect the layer, adjust the left-right placement of the prop and createmultiple copies.

Moreover, the user can then move objects (e.g., animals, othercharacters) through the scene and create animation paths using themethods described herein. The objects can move in a designated layer. Insome instances the movement of the moving object can be stopped ormodified based on the props on the path of the moving object. Themovement can create an animation system similar to a puppet theater,which may be simple to use because it has very few degrees of freedom.

According to some embodiments, by using hand animated characters, a usercan assign multiple AR objects (e.g., digitized drawings) to animationsequences. For example, a walking person could be animated with several(e.g., 2-3) foot poses. The real-time AR sketching application 215 canlearn these sequences by placing the drawing sequence in a simpletimeline. After establishing these animations, the user may invoke theanimated character. The real-time AR sketching application 215 can alsomirror the animation to turn a right walking sequence to a left walkingsequence.

Furthermore, the 2.5-D stage, as illustrated in FIG. 15, can also applysimplified physics using a 2-D layer mechanism. For example, thereal-time AR sketching application 215 can illustrate a rock rollingdown a hill prop by moving the rock closer to the user by using thelayers of the 2.5-D stage. By using layers and 2-D physics, thereal-time AR sketching application 215 can compute the physicalanimation associated with the prop in real-time in the mobile device100. In some instances, the real-time AR sketching application 215 caninclude the following physical animations: gravity, collision, friction,wind and water.

FIG. 16 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method 1600for capturing a target AR object, according to some embodiments. Asillustrated in FIG. 11, the real-time AR sketching application 215 cancaptures real content (e.g., first object 1105, second object 1110)placed on an AR tracking target (e.g., tracking area 305) and transformthe content to be used interactively with a mobile interface.

At block 1605, an image of one or more target objects is captured. Thetarget objects may be positioned on a pre-defined background. Thepre-defined background may be a marker or feature tracking target. Thetarget objects can include, but is not limited to, a 2-D sketch or a 3-Dobject. The target objects can also be coplanar with the pre-definedbackground. The pre-defined background may include a horizontal trackingarea and a vertical tracking area.

At block 1610, the image may be segmented into one or more areascorresponding to the one or more target objects and one or more areascorresponding to the pre-defined background. Segmenting the image caninclude subtracting the pre-defined background from the image.

At block 1615, the one or more areas corresponding to the one or moretarget objects may be converted to a digital image.

At block 1620, one or more AR objects are generated. The one or more ARobjects may correspond to the one or more target objects, and may begenerated based at least in part on the digital image. The one or moreAR objects may be generated based on detection of a two-dimensional(2-D) blob within the captured image, the detection of the 2-D blobbased on a surface reflectance associated with the one or more targetobjects positioned on the pre-defined background.

The one or more AR objects may be edited in response to a user input.The editing can include dividing at least one of the one or more ARobjects into a plurality of AR parts. A user input may designate an ARpart from the plurality of AR parts. The designated AR part may then bemanipulated based on the received user input. Manipulating thedesignated AR part can include one or more of the following: addingdepth to the designated AR part based on a determined finger pressure ona display of the mobile device, rotating the designated AR part based ona user gesture performed on the display of the mobile device, assemblingthe designated AR part into one or more layers, moving the designated ARpart into one or more locations displayable on the display of the mobiledevice, or extruding the designated AR part.

In some embodiments, the one or more areas corresponding to the one ormore target objects may be refined. The generated AR objects may then bedisplayed on a display of the mobile device.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of a computing system in which one ormore embodiments may be implemented.

The computer system 1700 may further include (and/or be in communicationwith) one or more non-transitory storage devices 1725, which cancomprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage,and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, anoptical storage device, a solid-state storage device, such as a randomaccess memory (“RAM”), and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can beprogrammable, flash-updateable, and/or the like. Such storage devicesmay be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, includingwithout limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/orthe like.

The computer system 1700 might also include a communications subsystem1730, which can include without limitation a modem, a network card(wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wirelesscommunication device, and/or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth™ device, an802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, cellular communicationfacilities, etc.), and/or the like. The communications subsystem 1730may include one or more input and/or output communication interfaces topermit data to be exchanged with a network, other computer systems,and/or any other electrical devices/peripherals. In many embodiments,the computer system 1700 will further comprise a working memory 1735,which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above. In someinstances, the communication subsystem 1730 can be an example of thewireless transceiver 131 and the GNSS receiver 171 of the mobile device100.

The computer system 1700 also can comprise software elements, shown asbeing currently located within the working memory 1735, including anoperating system 1740, device drivers, executable libraries, and/orother code, such as one or more application(s) 1745, which may comprisecomputer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may bedesigned to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided byother embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, aportion of one or more procedures described with respect to themethod(s) discussed above, such as the method 400 described in relationto FIG. 4 and the method 1600 described in relation in FIG. 16, might beimplemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/ora processing unit within a computer); in an aspect, then, such codeand/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a generalpurpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations inaccordance with the described methods. In some instances, the workingmemory can 1735 can be an example of memory 161 of the mobile device100.

A set of these instructions and/or code might be stored on anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storagedevice(s) 1725 described above. In some cases, the storage medium mightbe incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 1700.In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from acomputer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as an optical disc),and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage mediumcan be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purposecomputer with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructionsmight take the form of executable code, which is executable by thecomputer system 1700 and/or might take the form of source and/orinstallable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on thecomputer system 1700 (e.g., using any of a variety of generallyavailable compilers, installation programs, compression/decompressionutilities, etc.), then takes the form of executable code. In someinstances, the storage device(s) 1725 can be an example of memory 161 ofthe mobile device 100.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantialvariations may be made in accordance with specific requirements. Forexample, customized hardware might also be used, and/or particularelements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portablesoftware, such as applets, etc.), or both. Further, connection to othercomputing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed.

As mentioned above, in one aspect, some embodiments may employ acomputer system (such as the computer system 1700) to perform methods inaccordance with various embodiments of the invention. According to a setof embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods areperformed by the computer system 1700 in response to processor 1710executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which mightbe incorporated into the operating system 1740 and/or other code, suchas an application program 1745) contained in the working memory 1735.Such instructions may be read into the working memory 1735 from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s)1725. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences ofinstructions contained in the working memory 1735 might cause theprocessor(s) 1710 to perform one or more procedures of the methodsdescribed herein. Additionally or alternatively, portions of the methodsdescribed herein may be executed through specialized hardware. Merely byway of example, a portion of one or more procedures described withrespect to the method(s) discussed above, such as the method 400 and themethod 1600, might be implemented by the processor 1710. In someinstances, the processor 1710 can be an example of image processingmodule 121 of the mobile device 100. In some examples, the applicationprogram 1745 can be an example of the real-time AR sketching application215.

The terms “machine-readable medium” and “computer-readable medium,” asused herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing datathat causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion. In an embodimentimplemented using the computer system 1700, various computer-readablemedia might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s)1710 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry suchinstructions/code. In many implementations, a computer-readable mediumis a physical and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take theform of a non-volatile media or volatile media. Non-volatile mediainclude, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storagedevice(s) 1725. Volatile media include, without limitation, dynamicmemory, such as the working memory 1735.

Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer-readable mediainclude, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk,magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other opticalmedium, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM,EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any othermedium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code.

Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor(s) 1710for execution. Merely by way of example, the instructions may initiallybe carried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer.A remote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memoryand send the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to bereceived and/or executed by the computer system 1700.

The communications subsystem 1730 (and/or components thereof) generallywill receive signals, and the bus 1705 then might carry the signals(and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to theworking memory 1735, from which the processor(s) 1710 retrieves andexecutes the instructions. The instructions received by the workingmemory 1735 may optionally be stored on a non-transitory storage device825 either before or after execution by the processor(s) 1710.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of image processing module 121 withdifferent software modules for executing the tasks associated withembodiments of the present invention. In some arrangements, theinstructions/code for carrying the tasks associated with the differentsoftware modules can be stored a the memory 181 of the mobile device.

Alternatively, the software modules described in FIG. 18 can be executedby the processor(s) 1710 of FIG. 17. In some arrangements, theinstructions/code for carrying the tasks associated with the differentsoftware modules can be stored at the storage device(s) 1725.

According to some embodiments, the software modules can include anextraction module 1810, an insertion module 1820, and an edit module1830.

In one or more arrangements, the extraction module 1810 can extract theportion of the target image corresponding to the one or more objectspositioned against the background image. In some instances, theextraction can be based on comparing the background image with thetarget image to determine the portion of the target image correspondingto the one or more objects positioned against the background. Forexample, the portion of the target image can be based on a sketch drawnby a user or a 3-D physical object placed on the background.Additionally, the extraction module 1810 can generate AR object(s) 1815based on the portion of the target image corresponding to the one ormore objects. According to some embodiments, the received image data(e.g., target image) used by the extraction module 1810 can be receivedfrom the image capture module 111.

In one or more arrangements, the insertion module 1820 can be used bythe real-time AR sketching application to display the AR object(s) onthe display screen. For example, the display screen can be the displaymodule 181 of the mobile device 100. Additionally, the insertion module1820 can combine the received image data (e.g., target image) from theimage capture module 111 and the generated AR object(s) to displayembedded AR object(s) within an augmented image/video 1825.

In one or more arrangements, the edit module 1830 can edit the embeddedAR object(s) displayed on the augmented image/video. In some instances,the edit module can receive user inputs from the user input module 191.As previously discussed, FIG. 14 describes examples of editing methodsthat the user can use to edit the AR object(s). As illustrated from thetable in FIG. 14, the edit module 1830 can include a geometry mode 1410,a location mode 1420, an animation mode 1430, an extra property mode1440, and a play mode 1450.

The methods, systems, and devices discussed above are examples. Variousconfigurations may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. For instance, in alternative configurations,the methods may be performed in an order different from that described,and/or various stages may be added, omitted, and/or combined. Also,features described with respect to certain configurations may becombined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elementsof the configurations may be combined in a similar manner. Also,technology evolves and, thus, many of the elements are examples and donot limit the scope of the disclosure or claims.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of example configurations (including implementations).However, configurations may be practiced without these specific details.For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the configurations. This description provides exampleconfigurations only, and does not limit the scope, applicability, orconfigurations of the claims. Rather, the preceding description of theconfigurations will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing described techniques. Various changes maybe made in the function and arrangement of elements without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the disclosure.

Also, configurations may be described as a process which is depicted asa flow diagram or block diagram. Although each may describe theoperations as a sequential process, many of the operations can beperformed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of theoperations may be rearranged. A process may have additional steps notincluded in the figure. Furthermore, examples of the methods may beimplemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode,hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. Whenimplemented in software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, the programcode or code segments to perform the necessary tasks may be stored in anon-transitory computer-readable medium such as a storage medium.Processors may perform the described tasks.

Having described several example configurations, various modifications,alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departingfrom the spirit of the disclosure. For example, the above elements maybe components of a larger system, wherein other rules may takeprecedence over or otherwise modify the application of the invention.Also, a number of steps may be undertaken before, during, or after theabove elements are considered. Accordingly, the above description doesnot bind the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for generating one or more augmentedreality (AR) objects by a mobile device, the method comprising:capturing, by a camera of the mobile device based on instructions froman application executed on the mobile device, a digital image of one ormore physical objects; segmenting the digital image into one or moreareas corresponding to the one or more physical objects and one or moreareas corresponding to a background; generating, from the digital image,one or more digital representations of the one or more physical objectsin the digital image, the one or more digital representations of the oneor more physical objects being generated using data from the digitalimage in the one or more areas corresponding to the one or more physicalobjects; converting, by a processor of the mobile device based oninstructions from the application, the one or more digitalrepresentations of the one or more physical objects in the digital imageto one or more two-dimensional augmented reality (AR) objects, whereinconverting the one or more digital representations of the one or morephysical objects to the one or more two-dimensional AR objects causesthe one or more digital representations to be editable versions of theone or more physical objects; dividing a two-dimensional AR object ofthe one or more two-dimensional AR objects into a plurality of parts;editing a geometry of the two-dimensional AR object based on a userinput, the editing including at least one of adding a depth effect to atleast one part of the two-dimensional AR object and manipulating adesignated part of the plurality of parts based on the user input, theadded depth effect causing the at least one part to appear to have morethan two dimensions when displayed; augmenting a target image using theone or more two-dimensional AR objects; and displaying the augmentedtarget image on the mobile device based on instructions from theapplication.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein segmenting the digitalimage further comprises subtracting the background from the digitalimage.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount of the depth effectadded to the at least one part of the two-dimensional AR object is basedon a determined finger pressure on a display of the mobile device. 4.The method of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more physical objectscomprises a two-dimensional sketch.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinone of the one or more physical objects comprises a three-dimensionalobject.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one ormore physical objects is coplanar with the background.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the background is a feature tracking target.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising refining one of the one or moreareas corresponding to the one or more physical objects.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the one or more two-dimensional AR objects aregenerated based on detection of a two-dimensional blob within thecaptured digital image, the detection of the two-dimensional blob beingbased on a surface reflectance associated with the one or more physicalobjects positioned on the background.
 10. The method of claim 1, whereinthe background includes a horizontal tracking area and a verticaltracking area.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying,on a display of the mobile device, the one or more two-dimensional ARobjects in real-time.
 12. An apparatus for generating one or moreAugmented Reality (AR) objects, comprising: memory; an image capturingmodule including an image sensor, the image capturing module configuredto capture, based on instructions from an application executed on theapparatus, a digital image of one or more physical objects; and one ormore processors coupled to the memory and the image capturing module,the one or more processors configured to: segment the digital image intoone or more areas corresponding to the one or more physical objects andone or more areas corresponding to a background; generate, from thedigital image, one or more digital representations of the one or morephysical objects in the digital image, the one or more digitalrepresentations of the one or more physical objects being generatedusing data from the digital image in the one or more areas correspondingto the one or more physical objects; convert, based on instructions fromthe application, the one or more digital representations of the one ormore physical objects in the digital image to one or moretwo-dimensional augmented reality (AR) objects, wherein converting theone or more digital representations of the one or more physical objectsto the one or more two-dimensional AR objects causes the one or moredigital representations to be editable versions of the one or morephysical objects; divide a two-dimensional AR object of the one or moretwo-dimensional AR objects into a plurality of parts; edit a geometry ofthe two-dimensional AR object based on a user input, the editingincluding at least one of adding a depth effect to at least one part ofthe two-dimensional AR object and manipulating a designated part of theplurality of parts based on the user input, the added depth effectcausing the at least one part to appear to have more than two dimensionswhen displayed; augment a target image using the one or moretwo-dimensional AR objects; and display the augmented target image onthe apparatus based on instructions from the application.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein segmenting the digital image furthercomprises subtracting the background from the digital image.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein an amount of the depth effect added tothe at least one part of the two-dimensional AR object is based on adetermined finger pressure on a display.
 15. The apparatus of claim 12,wherein one of the one or more physical objects comprises at least oneor more of a two-dimensional sketch or a three-dimensional object. 16.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or morephysical objects is coplanar with the background.
 17. The apparatus ofclaim 12, wherein the background is a feature tracking target.
 18. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are furtherconfigured to refine one of the one or more areas corresponding to theone or more physical objects.
 19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein theone or more two-dimensional AR objects are generated based on detectionof a two-dimensional blob within the captured digital image, thedetection of the two-dimensional blob being based on a surfacereflectance associated with the one or more physical objects positionedon the background.
 20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the backgroundincludes a horizontal tracking area and a vertical tracking area. 21.The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display deviceconfigured to display the one or more two-dimensional AR objects inreal-time.
 22. One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediastoring computer-executable instructions for generating one or moreAugmented Reality (AR) objects that, when executed, cause one or morecomputing devices included in a mobile device to: capture, by a cameraof the mobile device based on the computer-executable instructions beingexecuted on the mobile device, a digital image of one or more physicalobjects; segment the digital image into one or more areas correspondingto the one or more physical objects and one or more areas correspondingto a background; generate, from the digital image, one or more digitalrepresentations of the one or more physical objects in the digitalimage, the one or more digital representations of the one or morephysical objects being generated using data from the digital image inthe one or more areas corresponding to the one or more physical objects;and convert, by the one or more computing devices based on thecomputer-executable instructions being executed on the mobile device,the one or more digital representations of the one or more physicalobjects in the digital image to one or more two-dimensional augmentedreality (AR) objects, wherein converting the one or more digitalrepresentations of the one or more physical objects to the one or moretwo-dimensional AR objects causes the one or more digitalrepresentations to be editable versions of the one or more physicalobjects; divide a two-dimensional AR object of the one or moretwo-dimensional AR objects into a plurality of parts; edit a geometry ofthe two-dimensional AR object based on a user input, the editingincluding at least one of adding a depth effect to at least one part ofthe two-dimensional AR object and manipulating a designated part of theplurality of parts based on the user input, the added depth effectcausing the at least one part to appear to have more than two dimensionswhen displayed; augment a target image using the one or moretwo-dimensional AR objects; and display the augmented target image onthe mobile device based on the computer-executable instructions beingexecuted on the mobile device.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein theadded depth effect causes the part to appear to have two and a halfdimensions.
 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more ARobjects are generated in real-time by the mobile device.
 25. The methodof claim 1, wherein the one or more AR objects are generated inreal-time by the mobile device without using an electronic device otherthan the mobile device.